diff --git a/notes.c b/notes.c
index 53ca25c814..6a157e34ce 100644
--- a/notes.c
+++ b/notes.c
@@ -1060,6 +1060,12 @@ void init_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt)
 {
 	memset(opt, 0, sizeof(*opt));
 	opt->use_default_notes = -1;
+	string_list_init_dup(&opt->extra_notes_refs);
+}
+
+void release_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt)
+{
+	string_list_clear(&opt->extra_notes_refs, 0);
 }
 
 void enable_default_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt, int *show_notes)
@@ -1073,19 +1079,15 @@ void enable_ref_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt, int *show_notes,
 	struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 	strbuf_addstr(&buf, ref);
 	expand_notes_ref(&buf);
-	string_list_append(&opt->extra_notes_refs,
-			strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL));
+	string_list_append_nodup(&opt->extra_notes_refs,
+				 strbuf_detach(&buf, NULL));
 	*show_notes = 1;
 }
 
 void disable_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt, int *show_notes)
 {
 	opt->use_default_notes = -1;
-	/* we have been strdup'ing ourselves, so trick
-	 * string_list into free()ing strings */
-	opt->extra_notes_refs.strdup_strings = 1;
 	string_list_clear(&opt->extra_notes_refs, 0);
-	opt->extra_notes_refs.strdup_strings = 0;
 	*show_notes = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/notes.h b/notes.h
index 064fd7143a..235216944b 100644
--- a/notes.h
+++ b/notes.h
@@ -275,6 +275,11 @@ struct display_notes_opt {
  */
 void init_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt);
 
+/*
+ * Release resources acquired by the display_notes_opt.
+ */
+void release_display_notes(struct display_notes_opt *opt);
+
 /*
  * This family of functions enables or disables the display of notes. In
  * particular, 'enable_default_display_notes' will display the default notes,
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index af95502d92..75e71bcaea 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -3168,6 +3168,7 @@ void release_revisions(struct rev_info *revs)
 {
 	free_commit_list(revs->commits);
 	free_commit_list(revs->ancestry_path_bottoms);
+	release_display_notes(&revs->notes_opt);
 	object_array_clear(&revs->pending);
 	object_array_clear(&revs->boundary_commits);
 	release_revisions_cmdline(&revs->cmdline);
diff --git a/t/t3301-notes.sh b/t/t3301-notes.sh
index cf23c06c09..536bd11ff4 100755
--- a/t/t3301-notes.sh
+++ b/t/t3301-notes.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 test_description='Test commit notes'
 
+TEST_PASSES_SANITIZE_LEAK=true
 . ./test-lib.sh
 
 write_script fake_editor <<\EOF